by Alena Pitts
“Of course!” Mom agreed.
Ansley, Ashton, and Amber ran ahead of us. A part of me really wanted to race my sisters but I decided it was best to stay close to Mom and Mr. Shipply just to make sure I didn’t miss anything they discussed.
As we approached the door leading out to the big field, Ansley was headed back in our direction.
“Lena! Lena!” she was screaming. “It’s Emma! Hurry up!”
“What? What is it?” Mom said frantically, moving as fast as she could out the door too.
“I think she hurt herself! She’s on the track.” Ansley was pointing to a big crowd of 6th and 7th grade runners.
We moved as quickly as we could through the crowd. I could hear Emma crying before I could see what was going on. Mom and Mr. Shipply scattered the other kids away so that they could talk to the coach and find out what happened and what needed to be done.
“I’ll call her mother,” Mom said, while dropping her large brown purse to the ground in order to dig out her phone.
“An ambulance is already on the way,” the coach announced calmly.
Emma cried out in pain again. I knelt next to her and laid my face next to hers. I repeated, “It’s okay, Emma, it’s okay,” over and over until Mom told me I needed to make space for the paramedics. “It’s okay, Emma. It’s okay,” I whispered one last time.
Mom did her best to keep calm because she knew that Ansley, Ashton, Amber, and I were watching her to determine how scared we should be.
“It’s okay, guys. It’s just her knee. We can’t tell how bad it is, but she will be fine.” Mom guided us to the parking lot while she talked. “I told her mom we would meet her at the hospital.”
“But Mommy, why couldn’t she just wait for her mom?” Amber asked as we loaded in the van in a slight panic.
“She could have but she is in a lot of pain. She needs to see a doctor very soon and an ambulance can drive faster than a regular car.”
Mom drove faster than I had ever seen her drive. She asked me to dial Dad’s number on the way to tell him what happened. I put him on speakerphone. “Let’s pray for her,” he said.
Everyone but Mom closed their eyes.
“Dear God, we pray that you would comfort Emma now. We pray that you give the doctors wisdom to know just what they need to do. We pray that you keep her mother and father safe as they drive to the hospital and that they would not be worried. Help us all to trust you right now. We know you are in charge. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“Amen.”
“Okay, honey, let me know when you get there. I can leave work to meet you at the hospital if I need to,” Dad said before hanging up.
We pulled into the parking lot at the same time as Emma’s mom was walking in. Mom pulled up to the front of the hospital and told me I could go in and help Emma’s mom find where they had taken her. I jumped out and ran into the hospital, catching up to Emma’s mom. She looked worried and very flustered. Her cheeks were red and she had little drops of sweat rolling down her nose. When we entered the large lobby, coach immediately saw us and hurried over. He motioned for me to have a seat while he talked to Emma’s mom privately.
I kept my eyes glued to the door waiting for Mom to come in. She came in along with Joey, Savannah, and Savannah’s mom. I didn’t know why but seeing their faces gave me a little bit of relief. I jumped up and ran to Savannah. I wrapped my arms around her neck and asked her to tell me what happened. Neither she nor Joey really knew. They said the team was doing sprints when suddenly they heard Emma screaming out in pain.
“Somebody said they thought Emma tripped and fell. I heard someone else say they thought they saw a bone sticking out of Emma’s leg!” said Joey, who looked worried and a little sick to her stomach too.
When Savannah’s mom heard Joey say that, she interrupted. “Okay, guys, that’s probably not true. We will find out what really happened soon. Just take a seat.”
As I sat there waiting to see what the adults had to say, a lot of “what ifs” starting racing through my head. I was very worried about my friend, but there was a part of me that could not stop worrying about what we would do at The Big Give without her help. I felt selfish for thinking about it and I tried not to. No one else said anything, but I could not help but wonder if I was the only one.
We had been sitting in the waiting room for what felt like hours. Dad had come and taken Ansley, Ashton, and Amber home by then, but Mom said she would wait with me to find out how Emma was doing. I glanced down at my watch and as I looked up, I saw my mom talking to one of the nurses. The rumbles of thunder we had started hearing while waiting were adding to my already stretched nerves.
They whispered for a while and then the nurse said, “Savannah, Joey, and Lena? Emma would like to see you. She’s doing much better now.”
I jumped up from my seat and practically ran to the door with the other girls. We nervously followed the nurse down the long hallway and into a room on a corner of the hall.
Emma was sort of sitting up with her leg hanging in the air from a pole. She tried to smile when she saw us but I could tell she wasn’t feeling well.
“We gave her some medicine to help with the pain. They make her feel really sleepy too,” said the nurse before stepping back so we could get closer to Emma’s bed.
“Hey,” I said while rubbing her hand. Savannah stood next to me, and Joey walked to the other side.
“I’m so sorry,” Joey leaned in close and spoke directly into Emma’s ear. I knew that Emma’s tears were contagious and, before I could stop myself, my eyes filled with tears of my own. Even though I knew Emma was going to be okay, it was difficult to see her this way.
“Can we pray for you?” I asked.
Joey quickly said, “Can I do it?”
Emma nodded her head weakly.
We stood quietly as Joey prayed that God would help Emma feel better. When she finished, we were all in tears.
“Okay, Lena, we need to get home. Emma needs to rest and tomorrow is a big day for all of us.” Mom’s voice startled me. I didn’t even know she had come into the room.
“Alright.” I rubbed Emma’s hand one more time, smiled, and told her I’d see her tomorrow. I didn’t know if that was true but I prayed it was.
Chapter 16
As Mom and I walked out to the van with Savannah, her mother, and Joey, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the distance again.
“I hope this all blows right over town,” Mom said, her hair whipping around in the wind that suddenly seemed to be increasing in speed. “It’ll make it difficult to set things up in the morning if the field is covered in puddles and mud from a downpour.”
“Mom! Don’t even think about it! I don’t know what we would do . . .” I groaned as Savannah, Joey, and I gave a group hug to each other and got into our vehicles to get home. It had been a long day and we were all still worried about Emma.
As we drove away, all waving out the windows and calling, “Good night!” the rain started splattering against the windshield and I saw Mom shake her head a little. “Don’t worry, Lena. The wind will blow this through quickly. Or at least it will dry up all the puddles by morning.”
By the time we got home it was raining hard. And it felt kind of sticky outside. Dad came out to the driveway with an umbrella for Mom, and I just ran as fast as I could to the door. Austin was bouncing around in front of the door with his tongue hanging out like it always does during thunderstorms. I was surprised to see Ashton, Amber, and Ansley all curled up on the couch sound asleep.
“Why are the girls all out here in the living room?” Mom looked at Dad curiously.
“We were dancing in the kitchen to some music on the radio when a weather bulletin was announced. Didn’t you hear anything about it? Severe storms are headed this way tonight and the girls started getting worried about the concert tomorrow. They just would not settle down so I said they could come sleep out here until Lena came home.” Dad grinned a little and went into the k
itchen with Mom to talk quietly while she got us a little snack to eat before bed. I was so hungry!
I went to my room and got my pajamas on, dropping my damp clothes in the middle of the floor. I would think about picking them up later.
When I got back into the kitchen Mom and Dad were on speakerphone, talking quietly with Mallory. I listened as she was talking. “We had to pull the bus over into a rest area because of the storms. I don’t think I have ever seen it so windy, either! A huge branch came tumbling right across the front window after we parked.”
“Hi, Mallory,” I slipped in when she stopped talking a minute.
“Hey, Lena! How are you? How’s Emma doing? Your parents were just filling me in.”
I leaned on my dad and he put his arm around my shoulder. “Everything is okay here. I am getting a little nervous . . . a lot nervous. And now I don’t know if Emma will be there to help out tomorrow. What will we do without her?” I knew I sounded like I was going to cry. “Are you going to be able to make it here to Dallas even with the storm, Mallory? What if you can’t make it?” Thoughts of having to cancel the concert and not being able to raise any money for Caroline and the other children started crowding up in my brain.
“Oh, Lena! Who do we go to when we start having doubts or are getting scared?” I heard Mallory ask.
Dad squeezed me close to his side. “I know I go to God, and so does your mom.”
“And so do I,” Mallory put in. “So why don’t we pray together right now? Maybe ask God for some help to stay safe in the storms, get some good sleep tonight, and for a beautiful and blessed day tomorrow? Mr. Daniels, do you mind praying for us?”
“Of course.” Dad took a deep breath. “Dear God, thank you for friends and family and the time we have together. Bless each of us where we are tonight—Mallory and her crew as they make their way here to Dallas, our family as we settle in for the night in the storm, for Emma and her family as she recovers from her injury, and for the children that we are all working so hard to support from the children’s hospital. Calm our fears, settle our minds, help us to remember that in You there is peace. In His name, amen.”
We all said, “Amen,” and smiled at each other just as a huge clap of lightning and thunder shook the house and a gusty wind made the front door come unlatched and swing open.
“We had better all get to bed soon. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day,” Mom said, as she said goodbye to Mallory and walked out of the room to go close the door.
I yawned and said goodnight to Mallory too, and then Dad ended the call. I was feeling hungry but was just too tired to do anything about it and eat the snack Mom had put together, so I looked at Dad and closed my eyes pretending to fall asleep standing up. Just as he was gently guiding me out of the kitchen toward the bedroom hallway, we heard the weird sound of the severe weather siren outside.
“Dad! That means a big storm is close, doesn’t it?” I said, panic in my voice. “What should we do?”
Mom walked toward us, already carrying Amber and guiding a very sleepy Ashton down the hall. “Get Ansley and their blankets and let’s curl up in this inside hallway of the house. It’s the safest place to be in a severe storm.” She motioned Dad to the living room and me to follow her and the girls.
Dad also grabbed his phone and brought it with him so he could check weather bulletins as they were announced.
“Should we be scared?” Ansley whispered as she stuck her face in my armpit and snuggled up close.
“No. We are safe in the hall and God is protecting us.”
“Okay, good,” she mumbled and drifted back to sleep even with all the sirens and rain and wind outside.
As the family sat there together we heard some unfamiliar bumps and creaks. Austin didn’t get too excited by the storm sounds. He just sat there panting and watching the hallway. When the lights flickered, he gave one tiny whine but then stood watch again. I petted his shaking body a little.
Dad sighed. “The weather reports are saying this is a severe thunderstorm. There haven’t been any tornados seen in the area! That is great news. Great news, for sure.” He smiled at Mom over Amber’s head and leaned back against the wall. “As soon as the sirens sound all clear, let’s get to bed.”
Chapter 17
I had a hard time finally sleeping that night. I knew I really needed to, but I had so many things going through my mind. Was there any damage from the heavy rain and high winds at the school field? Would Mallory make it into Dallas? How was Emma? Was she still in pain? And the fear of not having her be a part of the event that she worked on so hard made me worry even more.
When my alarm rang the next morning, I struggled to wake up.
“Lena! Wake up!” Ansley shouted in my ear.
“Okay,” I mumbled and tossed my covers over my head.
“Today’s the day! It’s the Big Event!”
I poked my head from under the blanket and corrected her, “The Big GIVE event.”
“Well GEEET up!” Ansley tried to imitate me.
“I am. I am.” I knew I needed to wake up.
When I walked into the kitchen I realized I was the last one to get up. Everyone else was wide awake with smiles on their faces.
“Why is everyone so happy?” I snapped a little.
Dad turned to me. “Do you not know what today is?” he said jokingly.
“I mean, what about the storm? And what about Emma? She worked so hard and now she can’t even be there, can she?”
Mom stood up from the kitchen table and pulled me in close to her. “I talked to Emma’s mom earlier this morning. Emma is okay. The doctors said she would not need surgery, just rest. So, let’s thank God for that!”
I did feel a little relief after hearing the update on Emma but that didn’t stop me from worrying about her not being at the concert.
Mom looked at my face and could tell that I was still feeling nervous. “As for the storm and any possible damage and clean up at school . . . we will deal with that if we have to. Dad and I already decided we should leave earlier than we planned, just in case there are a few things scattered around that were already outside. And honey, remember your Scripture! Do not be anxious about anything.”
“So, stop worrying. God will work this out,” Dad added. “Now! Get dressed! Remember we have to get there early for all of the deliveries too!”
I repeated Philippians 4:6 in my head while I showered and got ready for the big day. It was hard to believe that it was finally here.
“Girls, let’s pray before we head to the school,” Dad called out.
One by one, we hurried into the kitchen and gathered around the counter, holding hands.
“Can I pray, Daddy?” Amber asked.
Dad nodded and Amber prayed for our day.
When she finished, Dad pretended he was our coach and in his best coach voice he moved us out the door to the van and on our way.
While we were driving to school, it was plain to see that there had been a pretty serious storm in the area last night. There were leaves and branches all over the place. Trashcans were tipped over and there was even lawn furniture and someone’s trampoline in the middle of the road a little way from our house. We arrived at the school parking lot and I gasped.
“Oh, no!” I cried. “Look at that!”
One of the huge trees from the side of the field had been uprooted, the huge network of roots showing. It had fallen across the area where we had planned on setting up the T-shirt tent. And that wasn’t all.
“Is that part of the gym roof?” Mom said, pointing in the direction of a huge sheet of what looked like metal in the middle of the field. It was bent up almost in half but was huge! “I’ve never seen anything like that,” she said softly and shook her head.
Dad parked the van and we all hopped out. I ran toward the small group of people that was already gathering, including Mr. Fraser and Ms. Blount. They were all calmly discussing next steps to take. As Mom and Dad joined us I noticed a big white truck
with the local TV station’s call letters painted on the side with a large satellite tower folded down up on top. A woman in a blue suit jumped out and came toward us.
“Hi, folks. I’m Annette Courtier from WDDD, channel 13 news. We’ve been getting calls all morning about the storm damage in the area and someone tipped us off that you may be in need of some assistance. What’s going on here?” the young woman asked no one in particular.
Mom nudged me forward and I smiled at everyone and jumped right in. “Well, my name is Lena Daniels and I go to school here. My friends and I planned a big fundraiser for tonight—The Big Give—maybe you’ve heard about it? Mallory Winston is actually going to be here to sing live tonight!” I took a breath. “Anyway, as you can see, the field where the concert is supposed to be is a huge mess. We were all just talking about what to do.”
Ms. Blount stepped up and added, “I am the teacher that is helping the girls with the fundraiser—Ms. Blount.” She shook hands with the reporter. “I think you most certainly can help us! We need as many hands as we can get to help clean up the debris from the field—especially the roofing pieces and the tree. And we need to get this all done soon. Tents, a stage, and many donations are on their way. Can you do a small live piece for the early morning news? As soon as possible? I watch you every Saturday . . .” Ms. Blount smiled again. “If you mention the cause it may get people from the neighborhood to come by and offer some help. Do you think it could work?”
I was jumping for joy inside. What a great idea! And maybe more people would hear about the event this way and want to come to the concert too. Or at least buy a T-shirt or donate some money.
I ran up to Ms. Blount and surprised her with a hug. “What a great idea!” Ms. Blount patted my back as she hugged me back just as Savannah and Joey came running up.
Everyone laughed as Annette Courtier nodded and walked away to talk with her camera crew.